I remember going over and knocking on the door. His wife opened it. When I walked in he was off doing something and I asked how things were, how his writing was. He said “I wrote 18 new poems while I was in the back of a moving truck on its way to New Hampshire.” I was ecstatic and flooded the room with excitement jabbering on about how excellant that was. He interrupted me. “I have been editing them. I think one of them might turn out to be worth something.”

That is why I felt great about every finished poem the Reverand ever wrote. I would never be able to throw a more critical glance at it, not many people exist who can.

The Reverand is now Rachel and a she. I only mention it so I don’t have to go back to talking about it. I have more important things to speak about. The source of the critical eye that shined over all of us back before Rachel moved is what we miss. Rachel loves poetry so much that she never runs out of the energy to perfect it.

Rachel would tear you to bits and be absolutely right. Not to show you who was boss but because writing matters and if you botched it you’ve insulted the process. The potential it had.

I miss the Reverand as a pure force of personality. A reserved inhibited slow sipping introvert who could blast the microphone off its stand with the passion in her voice.

Work means a lot of things. It doesn’t just mean that you spent a ton of time memorizing hot lines. It means you edit down and build up your pieces. You look it over a third and fourth time to make sure nothing disturbs the flow of it and that it represents your vision for the concept and a strong spot in your overall portfolio. If you can’t be proud of it then it needs more work.

Everything she did was such a surprise while she was here. No tired concepts, no worked over phrases just fresh hot madness. Sometimes it scared people and he was one of the few people who could like that. She doesnt write and perform so people will like her. Or forgive her for things she’s done.

She writes because she’s one of those insane nuts that thinks we can right the world with our words if we pay enough attention. One day she’ll win me over on that.